EQUITY At Women’s College Hospital, equitable access for everyone is one of our core values. We are committed to providing equitable access and optimal health outcomes for all through community-informed, inclusive and responsive services. Our equity and community engagement programs aim to increase access, reduce barriers to services, and promote health equity for our diverse patient community. Below are just some examples of how this commitment translates to action: ACCESS AND DISABILITY ISSUES: In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), Women’s College Hospital is committed to providing inclusive and responsive goods, services and employment supports in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of all persons with disabilities. To ensure that our services are accessible to everyone, we will enable access to assistive devices, and welcome persons with a disability who are partnered with a service animal. We also welcome the use of a support person to provide services or assistance with access to goods or services in the hospital.
THE CROSSROADS CLINIC, WCH’S REFUGEE HEALTH CLINIC: The Crossroads Clinic opened in December 2011 and is the first hospital-based refugee health clinic in Toronto. The clinic provides full primary care to newly arrived refugees who have Interim Federal Health Program coverage, for their first two years in Canada. The clinic is staffed by a multidisciplinary team that includes physicians and nurse practitioners who have experience working with refugee populations. The clinic offers comprehensive primary care, as well as facilitating contact with agencies that provide help with issues such as housing, immigration and food security.To ensure language access, interpretation will be provided where required. The clinic is located at 76 Grenville Street, 3rd floor. Hours of service: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For an appointment or information call 416-323-6031.
LGBTQ HEALTH: The Queer Women’s Health Initiative (QWHI) is a collaboration between Rainbow Health Ontario, Sherbourne Health Centre and Women’s College Hospital. Together we developed a health promotion campaign - Check It Out: Queer Women Need Paps Too! The Bay Centre for Birth Control at Women’s College Hospital provides drop-in Pap test services focused on the needs of queer women every Wednesday evening from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 416-351-3700.
Trans Health Women’s College Hospital is working to increase access, capacity and expertise for trans health services in Ontario. WCH offers transition-related surgeries in an outpatient environment and integrated programming supports in partnership with our acute care and community partners. Competent pre- and post-operative care services and expertise are being developed to ensure that trans people have access to highly-skilled, welcoming healthcare providers both for transition-related and general health issues. For more information, contact our Equity and Community Engagement office at 416-323-6400 ext. 6245. 22